NOTE: Times listed in preview are from the 1995 CIF Championship Meet, unless designated otherwise.

Bonita Vista
Division: One.
Coach: Ian Cumming. Assisted by Dave Hunter.
Home course: Rohr Park (3.1 boys, 2.2 girls).

BOYS: 37 runners.

Probable team leader: Brian Paff (10), who ran the 1600 in 4:37 last spring despite a basketball injury.

Returning: Jason Stone (11) 18:25; Leo Espino (11) 18:47; Kevin Barrera (12) 19:15, Giovanni Arce (10). Of that group, Barrera and Arce had the best off season preparation.

Candidates: Bill McRaven (12), Jon Ostrus (11), David Ostrus (11), Ben Walthall (11), Brad Fowers (10). Cumming was impressed by the summer preparation of Walthall and Fowers, and also cited McRaven's work ethic.

The coaches' assessment: "We've very young, but we have a lot of good guys," Cumming said. "We're about 12 deep."

The outlook: In a much more wide-open Metro, a team like Bonita deserves serious consideration. Cumming is a top coach, the team seems well prepared, and there is plenty of depth. One need is for an ace or two to emerge. Paff has great talent, but he is just a soph.

GIRLS: 21 runners.

Strength at the top: The Barons' top three can match up with just about any team. Meghann Phillips (12) 15:35, was all-CIF last year; Rosie Costello (12) 16:43, was all-CIF in '94, and last year's frosh flash Dawna Marshall (10) 18:11, came on strong in track with an 11:34 for the 3200.

Returning: Jennifer Martinez (11) 17:19; Sandie Zuniga (10) 17:46; Erica Taylor (11) 17:49 in "94. Look for big improvement from Zuniga, who had an excellent summer of training paired with Marshall. Taylor missed the last cross country season with a knee problem, but is back now.

New: Karen Albrecht (10), Van Nguyen (10). Albrecht was a 67 400-meter runner in track.

The outlook: On paper, this team could be a CIF contender. Phillips, Costello and Marshall match up well with just about any other team's top group. They are the Metro favorite, unless total disaster strikes.

The concern: Health. Costello had a sub-par junior year and a recent stress fracture is still a concern. Phillips had some knee troubles in the spring and summer that are being treated with orthotics. Martinez missed a lot of off-season training as well, and Taylor is coming back from a missed season. Cumming is keeping his fingers crossed.

Castle Park
Division: Two.
Coach: Brad Grady. Assisted by Delia Rosales.
Home course: at Hilltop High (boys 3.1, girls 2.33).

Top of the pack: Joshua Middleswart (12) 17:44; Jose Flores (12) 18:00; Jorge Del Hierro (12). Del Hierro ran the CIF course in 17:46 in '94 as a soph, was injured last year. Last year, Middleswart and Del Hierro traded off the lead position a number of times. Now, Flores has improved and is ready to make it a threesome. It could be a strong group.

Returning: Manny Rivas (10) 18:41; Ernesto Ramirez (12) 21:29. Rivas, a promising youngster, was last year's third man at CIF (with Del Hierro out), but might be around 6 or 7 this year. That's how much the team has improved. Back after two years away from the sport is Edward Caddick (12), who as a frosh ran as high as third man. "He could be a legit sub-10:00 in the 3200," Grady said. Ryan Abuan (12) comes up from the JV team, is much improved.

New: Daniel Flores (9), Adrian Ortiz (9), Jesus Cruz (11), Julio Monge (11). Flores, according to Grady, is one of the best frosh runners to show up at Castle Park in recent years. "He could be running four or five for us," Grady said. "He has the ability to be very good." Grady coached such up-and-comers as Isaac Sanchez and Adrian Ramirez, so take note.

The outlook: It's going to be an extremely interesting year in the Metro, with balance everywhere, and teams will be knocking each other off all season. As the season winds down, Grady thinks that the Trojans "are going to take off at the end. A lot of the other teams won't improve as much as we will. We're always stronger at the end." Grady gets points for being honest when he said, "I expect to win the league. My runners are now seniors, and they know what they have to do. I"m real excited." The Trojans certainly have a shot.

GIRLS: 8 runners.

Best runner: Macrina Rosales (11) 19:08. "She is improving more this year, and running longer distances," Grady said. "She is also injury free, and she doen't come up with little aches and pains."

Returning: Veronica Rodriguez (10); Cynthia Guzman (11). Rodriguez "started getting it together," at the end of her frosh year in cross country and ran a 2:42 for 800 in track. "She started to get the work ethic," Grady said. Guzman only ran bits and pieces of the season last year, and should be improved.

New: Yasmine Rangal (10). She's new to the sport, but Grady thinks she'll be in a pack with Rodriguez and Guzman.

The outlook: Grady has written down a yearly goal of increased numbers for the team as a whole, but especially on the girls side. It's a hard sell in the South Bay, however, and many of the league's girls squads are pretty thin. Even with just eight runners, Castle Park will be able to compete with a number of teams in the league.

Chula Vista
Division: One.
Coaches: Art Johnson, girls; Jeanne Lasse Johnson, boys.
Home course: Rohr Park (boys 3.1, girls 2.2).

BOYS: 25 runners.

Best runner: Adrian Ramirez (12) 16:05. As a junior, Ramirez was the CIF Division I runner-up to state champ Larry Henderson. His time of 16:05 is also the fastest of any returning runner this year. He also ran the 3200 in 9:31 in an early season indoor meet during track season. Outdoors, his best was 9:42. He carries the load for the Spartans this year, as he is the only one of last year's top seven to come back. At the Mt. Carmel meet, Ramirez ran 15:49 in taking fifth in the Division I senior race.

New: Jose Zurita (11), Rosario Martinez (11), Branni Zuniga (11), Francisco Garfias (10), Joel Armola (10), Michael Manzano (9), Cesar Medina (9), Brian Eaton (9), Phanindra Duvurri (11). A number of these runners are up from the JV ranks, where they have shown promise over the last year or two. Zurita and Martinez are being counted on to be part of the top five. Garfias could be a find. In his first year of cross country, he ran 17:50 at Mt. Carmel. The Spartans had some frosh run well at Mt. Carmel, also, with Manzano (18:35), Medina (18:42), and Eaton (18:50) placing well.

The outlook: At first glance, it seems to be a rebuilding year. But, maybe not. Chula has had a loaded JV in the last year or two, and Ramirez is still the best runner in the league and one of the best in the county. At the league level, the Spartans will be a contender. At the CIF level, it's going to be tougher to sustain their recent success (CIF titles in '93 and '94, second last year in Division I). But, "Nobody is going to be looking at us this year," Lasse Johnson said. "I really think that this group is as talented as last year's team. It depends on how the young runners develop. They need to make that transition, get some confidence and be a little more aggressive." Compared to the big-name groups of the last few years, this is mostly a team of unknowns. They want to change that.

GIRLS: 20 runners.

Returning: Nika Dunn (12) 17:39; Abby McConnell (11) 17:55; Graciela Minor (12) 18:44, Vanessa Caudra (11). Dunn, the younger sister of Matt Dunn, is the leader at present, with Minor and McConnell part of close pack right behind her.

New: Maribel Calderon (11), Vera Villavalvo (10), Daniela Castaneda (9), Bertha Ojeda (9), Nancy Castro (9). Art Johnson thinks a number of these girls will help right away, with Villavalvo and Castaneda moving right into the top pack. The Mt. Carmel times indicate that it will be a tight group: Dunn, 18:26; McConnell, 19:03; Villavalvo, 18:45; Castaneda, 19:29.

The outlook: This team is coming off a good year, when they were fourth in the CIF Division I race. After heavy losses, Chula lacks the strength at the front that a team such as Bonita Vista has, so the focus now is on tightening the pack. The returning runners lend the team the necessary leadership and experience, and the youngsters will give the group a shot of fresh blood. They should be a factor in the Metro race.

Eastlake
Division: Four.
Coach: Columbus Page. Assisted by Mike Rubalcava.
Home course: At Hilltop.

BOYS: 18 runners.

Returning: Andrew Howard (10) 19:30; Paul Lagler (10) 21:58. Howard and Lagler are both in the top three so far this year.

New: Brian Bartlett (12), Evan Gilstrap (10), Kevin Bartlett (11), Joe Eros (11), Kyle McMahan (9), Kyle Remp (12), Alberto Corona (10), Juan Navarro (10). Brian Bartlett is also playing football for the school, but plans to run in most of the meets. "When he runs, he's our best runner," Page said. "He's pretty good." Page has done a good job of rounding up some prospects for the team.

The outlook: "The whole team is fairly young," said Page. "The bulk of it is sophomores." Only three will graduate, leaving Page a nice base to build on. The boys might not improve as dramatically as the girls team did last year, but the trend seems to be in the same direction. "The kids are working very well," Page said. "The future looks good."

GIRLS: 17 runners.

Best runner: Maria Cervantes (12). She was the team's leader all season last year, but was a DNF at the CIF race, with a variety of physical problems. She's back to health now, and is running well. She easily won her section of the recent Baron Invitational, and she could be in for a big year.

Returning: Debra Milam (12) 18:05; Gail Dayao (12) 20:05. Milam has been the team's third runner in early meets; Dayao has been number four.

New: Laura Carriedo (9), Sarah Eisenberg (12), Jodell Linder (9), Kathy Milam (10), Patricia Partch (11), Roxanne Pasqual (10). This group has all moved into varsity positions. The best of the group is freshman Carriedo, the team's number two runner in early meets. In workouts, Page said, she stays close to Cervantes.

The outlook: Upbeat. "The numbers are up tremendously," Page said. The team loses three seniors this year, and, said Page, "that means great things for the future." The Eastlake girls finished third in the Metro last year, after a last place finish the year before. That's pretty impressive progress, and this team should be in the thick of things this year.

Hilltop
Division: Two.
Coach: Chip Holmes. Assisted by Paul Brents.
Home course: On campus (boys 3.1, girls 2.4).

BOYS: 18 runners.

Returning: Ryan Short (12) 18:17; David Granfield (12) 20:15; Ray Edwards (12) 20:45. The Lancers lost some good runners to graduation (Zac Read, Fabricio Guzman).

New: Frankie Mendoza (11), Eric Guzman (11), Jimmy Schroeder (9), Jose Beltran (9), Donald Holmes (12). Mendoza has tried cross country for the last two years, but has come down with injuries both times. Now, he's healthy, and is coming off "his best summer. He's worked hard," Holmes said. "He's got some real talent." Mendoza has moved into the top spot on the Hilltop roster. Guzman, younger brother of Fabricio, is trying cross country for the first time, but Holmes thinks that he is also, "real talented." Frosh Schroeder, younger brother of high jump ace Dan, shows some real potential. He ran 17:42 at Mt. Carmel, and was fourth in the DIvision II frosh race.

The outlook: Suddenly, this is a very young team. The top runners (Mendoza, Guzman) are juniors and don't have a lot of background coming into the season. Some of the frosh will get mixed into the varsity. The net result is that the Lancers will take a while to get into gear, but will come on the later stages of the season. "We'll be a decent team," Holmes said. It might be asking too much for this team to improve enough to be a threat this year. They could be in the mix next year, however.

GIRLS: 25 runners.

Returning: Sara Meza (11) 18:46; Michelle Hodge (11) 18:47; Crystal Foelschow (11) 19:16; Erin DeHahn (10) 19:34; Sharon Robles (12) 21:28; Michelle Richardson (10). DeHahn was the team leader in a number of meets as a frosh, but really came on in track, where she ran the 800 in 2:17 and took second in the CIF meet. She is an allaround talent; she ran a leg on the Lancers' 4x400 relay team, highjumped 5-2, and she plays club soccer. She has yet to really blossom in this sport, partly because she splits time with soccer, but it could happen. Richardson is another versatile athlete, who runs hurdles and high jumps in track. Holmes expects DeHahn, Foelschow and Meza to be the best of this group.

New: Theresa Escobedo (9), Elizabeth Kolata (9), Heather McElroy (10). The two frosh ran well at Mt. Carmel. In the Division II frosh race, Escobedo was fourth in 18:41, Kolata was eighth in 18:57. Those efforts move the pair right up to the lead pack, and maybe ahead of it. McElroy is in her first year of cross country, and ran the 3200 in track.

The outlook: After Bonita Vista, the Metro girls field is wide open. Hilltop could be competitive. The top frosh look good, DeHahn is a talented athlete who could develop, and the numbers are good. This is a team that could develop and improve throughout the season.

Mar Vista
Division: Three.
Coaches: Benny Holt, boys; Katrina Csajkowski, girls.
Home course: Lucky Waller Park (boys 3.1, girls 2.44).

BOYS: 38 runners.

Best runner: Fernando Corona 11) 17:38. Corona was a good soph runner last year, and had a trade-mark style of coming on late in the race, often from far back in the pack. In early action this year, he looks like he's concentrating on getting into position a bit earlier. "He worked out pretty good in the off-season," Holt said.

Returning: Esteban Rocha (12) 18:41; Alde Morlan (12) 20;14; Osualdo Olmos (10) 20:31; Felix Padilla (12) 20:49; Adrian Garay (11) 21:22; Hector Quevedo (12); Christian Valderamma (12). The Mariners basically return almost their entire roster. Rocha ran 17:11 at Mt. Carmel, and Valderrama, who also plays soccer, ran 17:30.

New: Luis Martinez (10), Daniel Perez (10), Miguel Beltran (11). Martinez might be a surprise. He didn't run cross country as a frosh, but turned in a 17:18 at Mt. Carmel. That moves him high up in the lineup. Perez is another soph that didn't run cross country. In track, he turned in a 2:04 for 800 as a frosh. At Mt. Carmel, he clocked 18:05.

The outlook: The Mariners have moved over to the Metro from the Harbor League, and they are more comfortable here, competing with their natural rivals from the South Bay. Whenever coaches mention the contenders in the Metro, they always toss in Mar Vista as a "darkhorse." Holt sees it that way, too. "We could be a contender," he said. "If we get all the ingredients going." The Mar Vista team, like lead runner Corona, will most likely come on late in the game. How good they will be won't be known until very nearly the end of the season.

GIRLS: 13 runners.

Best runner: Probably is Kara Hawthorne (10). She is new to cross country, but ran well in track last spring, taking second in the Harbor League 800 meters as a frosh. Hawthorne is an all-around athlete, who also plays soccer. Running is still a new sport for her, however, and she's still finding out how good she is.

Right behind her: Kirsten Neil (12), a transfer from Coronado. Neil was a varsity runner for the Islanders as a soph, on a state qualifying team. As a soph, she was 11th in CIF Division IV, running 18:21.

New: Chrissy Tomlinson (10), Holly Pinnick (10), Carly Foss (9). Csajkowski has recruited energetically the last two weeks to fill out her roster, and she has mostly gone after girls with athletic credentials. Tomlinson, for instance, is a swimmer/water polo type with junior lifeguard credentials. She and Pinnick are, "improving quite a bit," according to the coach. Foss has just joined the team, but is "pretty athletic."

The outlook: The numbers are up, and there's a couple of legit runners at the top of the roster. It's not going to scare Bonita Vista, but it's a step forward for the Mariners. If some of the new recruits pan out, the team could be fairly representative in this league.

Montgomery
Division: Two.
Coach: Ruben Ledesma. Assisted by Juan Gonzalez.
Home course: Lucky Waller Park, near campus (boys 3.1, girls 2.44).

BOYS: 15 runners.

Returning: Reggie DePass (12) 17:33; Thomas Juarez (12) 18:07; Xavier Alaniz (11) 18:35; Michael Campos (10) 21:12; Carlos Zapata (12). Alaniz, a soph last year, has made the biggest improvement in the off-season, and is probably the leader. Juarez is "much improved," according to Ledesma. DePass, the area's all-time best high hurdler, is also an effective cross country runner. The strength gained in the sport could help him go after the area's 300-meter hurdle record in the spring. Zapata is a Seventh Day Adventist who doesn't compete in Saturday meets.

New: Daniel Wagner (11), Dave Duncan (10), Jose Perez (11), Jesus Carrillo (9). This group will shore up the front pack.

The outlook: Any of four or five teams have a legitimate shot at the Metro title this year, and Montgomery is in the middle of that group. If Alaniz makes a big jump, and the four-five spots get solid, the Aztecs could be tough. Training-wise, "it's been our best year," Ledesma reported.

GIRLS: 15 runners.

Returning: Esther Volper (11) 18:18; Erendira Garcia (10) 18:54; Joy Espiritu (12) 19:38. Ledesma has no firm fix on the front pack's order just yet, but thinks that the quality is upgraded from last year.

New: Alaine Hutchinson (12), Sarita Stolz (11), Eva Burgueno (10), Marissa Hernandez (10), April Jimenez (9). Ledesma expects a number of these runners to make an impact on the lead pack right away. Frosh Jimenez, he said, has "a lot of promise. She's tall and rangy."

The outlook: Off-season training has been solid for the girls as well as the boys. Ledesma has also been an active off-season talent scout, and has built up the numbers, adding some promising athletes. The league seems wide open, other than Bonita Vista, a strong favorite.

Southwest
Division: One.
Coach: Jesus Rodriguez.
Home course: Lucky Waller Park, near Montgomery (boys 3.1, girls 2.44).

BOYS: 11 runners.

Returning: Michael Williams (11) 19:15. Vicente Ruiz (12) was the team's best runner in 1994 as a frosh, and now returns to eligibility. In his year away, he kept his fitness up, Rodriguez reported. As a soph in 1994, Ruiz ran the CIF course in 17:44. If he's anywhere near being in shape, he'll be a big help.

New: Oscar Gonzalez (11), Omar Caraveo (11), Felipe Martin (11), Joaquin Harris (10), John Powell (12). Best of this group are Gonzalez and Harris, according to Rodriguez.

The outlook: The numbers are against this team, but they won't be overwhelmed by their competition. Ruiz will be a quality runner at the top of the roster, and there seems to be some decent talent in the next three spots. Depth is one of the main concerns. The Raiders can't afford to lose anybody.

GIRLS: 7 runners.

Returning: Cindy Chapin (12) 20:30. Chapin was the team's only girl entrant at CIF last year. Roseanna Bermio (12) returns after a year away from the sport. She was one of the team's best in 1994 as a soph.

New: Eva Mendez (12), Veronica Cuevas (11), Erica Roque (10). Roque has a soccer background, which gives her "a lot of stamina," according to Rodriguez. "She has an excellent attitude."

The outlook: Rodriguez is still scouting the campus for numbers. This team is extremely thin, although the talent level might not be that bad. They might be able to compete with a few teams in the league, but they better not lose any athletes.

Sweetwater
Division: One.
Coach: Tim Latham. Assisted by Maria Gallaher, Norberto Avila, Joe Lara and Jaime Romero.
Home course: Rohr Park (3.1 boys; 2.3 girls).

BOYS: 24 runners.

Best runner: Baruch Vega (11) 17:29. He had a "fairly consistent" summer of training.

Returning: Miguel Gallarzo (12) 18:24; Javier Gonzalez (12) 18:38. Gonzalez probably had the best off-season of the top group. Team returns three of top four at last year's CIF meet.

Candidates: Adrian Garcia (10), Carlos Sotelo (10), Ruben Vences (9), Eric Enriquez (12), Jesse Jasso (12), Marcus Slack (12). An extremely hard-working group. Sotelo reportedly put in 1,000 miles in the off season and a number of others logged a lot of distance.

The base: "I'm pretty pleased with our conditioning," Latham said. "As a team, they've come in better prepared than ever."

The outlook: The league seems to be more balanced than the last few years. The Devils have a core of talent, the talent goes about ten deep, and they've been working very hard. They will definitely be a factor.

GIRLS: 14 runners.

Best runner: Jessica Cabrera (12) 16:50, who returned in good shape and "is looking strong."

Returning: Nohelia Ramos (10) 18:29; Helen Lopez (11) 18:44: Cindy Ortiz (11) 19:21; Christina Sotelo (10) 21:17; Margie Moran (11). Ramos is very much improved.

The off-season: The Devil girls, too, have put in some good base work. Look for big improvements from runners like Ramos, Ortiz, and Moran.

The outlook: Devils are strong at the front, with Cabrera and Ramos, and they could put together a good pack behind them. The group is a bit thin, but as a team they should defeat most league rivals.